Two Arrested During Oz Tzion Demolition

Security forces in large numbers arrive at the Shomron outpost of Oz Tzion, demolish two structures.

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Elad Benari, 20/01/13 01:45

Oz Tzion eviction

Arutz Sheva

Security forces in large numbers arrived at the Shomron (Samaria) outpost of Oz Tzion on Saturday night where they began to demolish structures, the Tazpit news agency reports.

Local residents said that the outpost has only two buildings, one of which was built last month after a previous demolition, and a second building that was completed just this past Thursday.

According to Tazpit, two people were arrested during the demolition. The report said that one of the detainees was arrested with the police using violence against him, after he documented the officers threatening the other detainee with pepper spray while he was handcuffed.

Last month, the IDF was forced to stop an eviction at Oz Tzion on a Friday afternoon, just minutes before Shabbat, when locals resisted eviction.

In last month’s incident the officers used tear gas and stun grenades to try and evict about 200 youths who erected an improvised structure and put up several tents. Violent clashes erupted between the two sides and one person was arrested.

Some of Israel’s political parties had used the incident for political gain, especially Tzipi Livni, head of the Hatnua party, who blamed Bayit Yehudi leader Naftali Bennett for the violence at the Oz Tzion outpost. This was because Rabbi Shmuel Eliyahu, the Rabbi of Tzfat, and Rabbi Dov Lior of Kiryat Arba, who are identified with the Tekuma party that merged with Bayit Yehudi were present at the outpost for a Shabbat with local residents.

Bennett later reacted to Livni's accusation on his own Facebook page, under the heading, "You Too, Tzipi Livni?"